Devendra Kumar
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi finally broke his public silence on the deadly ethnic clashes in Manipur, condemning the unforgivable acts of violence as “shameful for any civilized nation.” The clashes, which have left over 130 people dead since May, were sparked by an affirmative action controversy between Christian Kukis and mostly Hindu Meiteis. The violence has persisted despite the army’s presence in Manipur, with warring factions forming armed militias and isolated villages still being raked with gunfire. More than 60,000 people have fled to packed relief camps.
The situation came to a head when a video emerged showing two naked women being assaulted by a mob in Manipur. The video was widely shared on social media despite the internet being largely blocked and journalists being locked out of the remote state. The assault was “emblematic of the near-civil war” in Manipur, Modi said, adding that his heart was filled with pain and anger.
The victims, from the Kuki-Zo community, told The Associated Press that the men who assaulted them were part of a Meitei mob that had earlier torched their village. They were forced to remove their clothes and were then led into a field where they were sexually assaulted. The two women are now safe in a refugee camp.
Modi urged the heads of state governments to ensure the safety of women, saying that the incident was “unforgivable.” India’s Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani called the incident “condemnable and downright inhuman,” adding that investigations were under way and that “no effort would be spared to bring perpetrators to justice.”
India’s main opposition Congress party president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the ruling Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party of “turning democracy and the rule of law into mobocracy.” He demanded that Modi speak about Manipur in Parliament, a demand that has been made by other opposition parties and rights activists.
The European Parliament has also adopted a resolution calling on Indian authorities to take action to stop the violence in Manipur and protect religious minorities, especially Christians. India’s foreign ministry condemned the resolution, describing it as “interference” in its internal affairs.